I picked up Harvey's Memories, Patterns, and Tactics last week and finished reading it. Interesting he tends to contradict some of the common beliefs . I hadn't known how many things in the sport he pioneered. Must have been awesume taking his course at PS. Another contradiction, or seemling so, is how Harvey describes the large numbers of trout in mountain streams prior to WWII. My grandfather who was born about 15 years before Harvey and lived in Union County (just east of Center) often told me how bad the streams were messed up by the logging and that they took 50 years to recover.

I too read this book and have the same feelings. Either way it's a great read and one I would recommend to anyone. Question though, did you feel a need to fish Spring Creek after reading? I couldn't wait to get up there.JH

I, too, enjoyed the Harvey book. I think Dan Shields, who compiled Harvey's thoughts, did the history of PA Fly Fishing a real service by getting this book into print. If you liked this book, you ought to find Charles Lose's "The Vanishing Trout," which is a reprint of an old book that tells of fishing, both w/ live bait and w/ flies in n/c PA. I have read the Lose book twice so far, and it sure brings on waves of wistful nostalgia for what once was. Anyhow, both books are good reads.

I have not read the Harvey book but look forward too, as well as the others mentioned. I recently read the Dan Shields Spring Creek Journal. Thought Dan had incorporated the history along with the fishing of Spring Creek in the book.

Sidenote: I bought the book at Flyfishers Paradise and it was in the sale bin because of a small flaw in the binding and it also was mis-autographed by Dan S. The book is autographed- To Bill. I guess that was not the right name. ha

Actually my mother fished Spring Creek in the Paradise section while attending graduate courses in the mid 40s. That motivated me to go up and fish Spring. While I was up there I stopped by the FFP fly shop and bought the book. Harvey discusses some incidents where famous fishing legends got caught enhancing their reputation but he with held the names. Makes you wonder.